Partnership is the pinnacle of a professional’s career. It confers on the recipient title, status and wealth. A partner gets paid many times more than a director, yet the roles aren’t too dissimilar in terms of skills, hours, stress and inputs. The average Big 4 partner was paid almost £700,000 in the UK last year. That’s roughly 6 times what a director gets paid, and about 25 times the national average wage. Making partner is about getting as far as your skills will take you, and being rewarded for it.

Key to your success is the creation of a plan. So, what should your plan look like? Make sure that you’re in the right area of the business. A growing market. Do something that you’re passionate about – you’ll need to communicate this passion on a daily basis. You must build a personal brand and a network – become “famous” for what you do. Develop the broad-based business skills required to successfully build and run a portfolio of clients, and learn how to sell professional services. Most of all, do not expect your firm to get you to partner. It’s your responsibility. Invest in yourself. Acquire powerful sponsors & mentors, and take every opportunity that you can to learn new things.